During his ongoing tour of Asia, U.S. President Donald Trump had aspirations of engaging with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, despite past tensions between their two nations.
Before embarking on the trip, which includes stops in Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan, Trump expressed a desire for a significant meeting with Kim Jong Un. Onboard Air Force One en route to Malaysia, he stated to reporters, “I just had a good relationship with him. I would love to see him, if he wants to, if he even gets this message. We haven’t mentioned anything, but he knows I’m going over there. If he’d like to meet, I’d love to meet him.”
He further encouraged the media to spread the word, saying, “If you want to put out the word, I’m open to it.”
This attempt to foster relations with Kim Jong Un represents a significant shift for Trump, who had previously mocked him by calling him ‘little rocket man’ due to North Korea’s nuclear threats. Despite Trump’s repeated indications of wanting to meet with Kim, there has been no response from the North Korean leader so far. Officials from both the U.S. and South Korea have confirmed that no meeting plans have been set.
Trump aims to bring Kim to the negotiating table by discussing the international sanctions imposed on North Korea for its ballistic missile activities, describing this as a considerable starting point.
Interestingly, Kim Jong Un has shown previous interest in engaging with the U.S., but only if the U.S. drops its demands for North Korea to denuclearize. Kim has also refused to interact with South Korea, a major U.S. ally. Last month, Kim mentioned, “Personally, I still have fond memories of U.S. President Trump. If the United States drops the absurd obsession with denuclearising us and accepts reality, and wants genuine peaceful coexistence, there is no reason for us not to sit down with the United States.”
As of now, there are no signs of such discussions taking place during Trump’s current visit to Asia. This could be a setback for South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung, who hoped Trump would help restart dialogue between North and South Korea. Lee, who took office in June after Yoon Suk Yeol was ousted for declaring martial law in December 2024, hoped Trump’s involvement might reduce tensions on the Korean peninsula.
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, who oversees relations with North Korea, indicated that Pyongyang might release a statement soon. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun suggested that Trump’s acknowledgment of North Korea as a ‘nuclear power’ and the possibility of lifting sanctions could be enticing for Kim.
While North Korea is not aligned with the U.S., it has been increasing its global presence since 2018 through military alliances with Russia and strengthened ties with China. Given Trump’s friendly relations with both China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, a successful meeting with Kim could significantly impact international relations.